Anecdotal personal experience, but I don't think it would take 802.11ax to improve available bandwidth, just better AP hardware.
I replaced a high-performance n/ac router with years old leftover enterprise AP. Price-wise the enterprise AP would've cost as much 2nd hand.
It improved the situation in a very very crowded airspace in every measurable metric (~10-50%). Better latency, average, minimum and maximum speeds, connection stability, packet loss and even security (PMF support). All that on the same standards and other conditions.
My suspicion is that consumers are being sold bottom of the barrel hardware and new protocols just rise the bar on what s*t they can get working.
I replaced a high-performance n/ac router with years old leftover enterprise AP. Price-wise the enterprise AP would've cost as much 2nd hand.
It improved the situation in a very very crowded airspace in every measurable metric (~10-50%). Better latency, average, minimum and maximum speeds, connection stability, packet loss and even security (PMF support). All that on the same standards and other conditions.
My suspicion is that consumers are being sold bottom of the barrel hardware and new protocols just rise the bar on what s*t they can get working.